Traditional Welsh Rarebit Recipe
It doesn’t get more authentic than this Traditional Welsh Rarebit recipe that is made with just a few tasty ingredients. This open-faced grilled cheese (cheese on toast) is simply toasted slices of crusty bread topped with a thickened cheese sauce with ale, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder and, of course, really good sharp cheddar cheese.
Table of contents
When it comes to Welsh Rarebit recipes this is about as easy as it gets. This grown-up grilled cheese is just cheese sauce and slices of bread. The flavor profile of the cheese sauce should be a balance of sharp white cheddar flavor with a hint of beer. Mustard powder adds another level of flavor without really tasting like you would with yellow mustard or Dijon mustard, which would be a stronger flavor.
How do you make proper Welsh Rarebit cheese sauce?
Just like making any cheese sauce, it starts with a roux. You first melt butter in a small saucepan then whisk flour into the melted butter until combined. The warm ale is whisked in, along with Worcester sauce (this is not a typo; we shorten the name in the UK) and mustard powder, then grated cheese. The savory cheese sauce should be thick, which helps it stay on the bread. Then it’s broiled/grilled in the oven until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
Oven Grilling vs Broiling
Welsh rarebit becomes bubbly and brown when you finish in the oven. In the U.S., that is done under the broiler, in the U.K., it is the oven grill.
The sauce must be cooked over low heat for two reasons. You don’t want to burn the flour; just cook it slightly. Secondly, if the heat is too high when you add the cheese, and it is heated too far beyond its melting point, the protein and fat will separate.
What is Buck Rarebit?
Buck Rarebit is Welsh rarebit topped with an fried egg or poached egg and a a tasty addition.
Origin of Welsh Rarebit
It is believed that this dish was originally called Welsh Rabbit, which evolved into “rarebit” and may even be of British origin.
Best bread for Welsh rarebit
The bread is just as important as the cheese sauce. If the bread is too thin, it will turn out soggy, so regular white sliced bread won’t work. I like a sturdy, whole, crusty loaf and slice my own. It can be sourdough or any kind of seeded or grain bread you like.
National Welsh Rarebit Day
Yes, it has a National Day and falls on 3rd September every year. I don’t know why, but there seems to be a National holiday for just about any food and dish, so why not!
Welsh Rarebit Without Beer
Beer plays a vital role in adding richness and flavor. If you don’t want to include alcohol, you can use a good non-alcoholic beer. To eliminate beer altogether, substitute chicken or vegetable broth.
Best Beer for Welsh Rarebit
The darker the beer, the darker the cheese mixture. I use a dark ale like Guinness, which adds a deep, rich flavor. You can also use a light ale or pale ale.
What to serve with Welsh Rarebit
I serve this Welsh Rarebit with a side of Warm Cherry Tomato and Basil Salad. On cold days, it is perfect served with a warming Tomato Basil Soup.
Traditional Welsh Rarebit Recipe – Step by Step
Toast bread slices until browned on both sides.
Melt butter in a saucepan until bubbling.
Whisk flour into the melted butter and cook for 1 minute to cook out the flour taste.
Whisk dark ale, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder into the flour mix.
Add white sharp cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted and smooth.
Spread the cheese sauce onto the slices of toasted bread. Broil until melted, brown and bubbly.
Traditional Welsh Rarebit Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 4 slices whole grain bread, sliced thick
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose/plain flour
- ⅓ cup dark ale, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 cup (80 grams) white cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Toast the bread on both sides under broiler or toaster.
- To a saucepan, add the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted and sizzling, whisk in the flour and cook for a minute, stirring.
- Slowly whisk in the ale until there are no lumps. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder. Use a spatula and stir in the cheese until it is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to slightly cool and thicken.
- Preheat broiler.
- Spread the cheese sauce on all of the slices of bread. Broil until bubbly, browned and melted. Serve immediately
Love Welsh Rarebit! Know this probably isn’t traditional, but like to add some broiled tomato slices on top. Broil them separately, add just before serving, to prevent soggy bread
It’s ok to customize and that is exactly how I would do it.
Hi,
Your scotch egg recipe brought me here, but the goldmine of other UK inspired dishes has kept me here reading (and with my mouth watering) instead of what I originally planned to do, which I have totally forgotten. One little comment on the recipe overview, I think you forgot “flour” in your initial description of making a roux.
Header: [How do you make proper Welsh Rarebit cheese sauce?
Just like making any cheese sauce, it starts with a roux. You first melt butter in a small saucepan then whisk FLOUR into the melted butter until combined.]
Your recipe directions clearly show and state flour, but maybe you are like me (or not) but I OCD over little things like this.
Now to the more important stuff – First I am the consummate grilled cheese guy. I have gone to great lengths in making perfect grilled cheese sandwiches to dip into my homemade tomato soup, but this Welsh Rarebit is begging me to try it. (I must also confess that when I first glanced at this recipe in your sliding recipe header, I thought it said “Welsh Rabbit”!!!!
One question I’d like to ask, is around the use of dried mustard. I picked up some Coleman’s dried mustard for a recipe I was developing for a dry rub. I agree that it adds a more subtle flavor dimension that the condiment would. Are there other recipes you have that include mustard powder as a key or perhaps more prominent component of the recipe or is mustard powder more of a minimal contributor to the dish?
I really regret not trying this when I have visited England. I do remember being in Plymouth, England at the RAF overwater survival course, and in a local pub, trying their “chili” and promptly informing the bartender, who happened to be the owner, that he had missed the boat on chili and I would be more than happy to cook up a batch if he would get the ingredients, which I provided my recipe for. Back then, chipotle peppers in mole sauce was absolutely unobtainium, as were a few other ingredients I use that are definitely localized to Texas, but I made do, and there was not a brow dripping with sweat, nor a nose that was not running by the time they finished their bowl. But back then as an brash, invincible young soldier, I was more focused on, as I said to everyone in the pub when I walked in for the first time – :Attention everyone!! My name is Robert. I hail from Texas, and I am here to drink all the beer in England!!!” Of course I got an eye roll or two, but quite a few more laughs. Until they saw me drink beer. 😉 It was a rather unusual opener, but the folks in that pub warmed right up to me (back when the small town folk still loved US soldiers I suppose) They were incredibly kind, and we had the most amazing time together. My days were spent in the Channel in February, freezing my you-know-whats-off, and my evenings, when I was free was spent in my favorite pub feeling connected to really good salt of the earth people, while still being a Yank. 🙂 I’m sorry for taking so much space – I did have a question, but seeing the recipes here did bring back that long forgotten memory. So thank you for unsuspectedly doing that for me.
One last question – while the supply of English beer is kind of limited, there are some available – is there a particular beer or beer profile that you use? Will any dark ale suffice?
Thank you for all your hard work in providing these recipes. I am looking forward to trying several!!
Robert
Hi Robert, thank for the sharing and I appreciate your kind words. Colemans mustard is slightly spicier than regular mustard powder so I tend to use it sparingly. I use it in my Piccalilli recipe, here: https://culinaryginger.com/piccalilli-recipe/ For the beer, a good tasting dark ale will always work.
I’ve been looking for this recipe!!! My dad used to make this for appetizers — but I didn’t know what it was called. He’d put it onto little round melba toasts so you got this nice crunch under the gooey cheese! He made the mixture cold like you do (rather than the roux version you often see). Thank you SO much!
I’m glad you found my recipe. Enjoy!
I did something wrong because the texture was rubbery and not liquid. I had to tear or cut it to put it on something (I used a cracker). Did anybody do this too? Where did I go wrong? I thought I followed the recipe with the right order and amounts of ingredients… I suppose the first indicator of a solid mixture was after the dark ingredients were put in. Maybe I cooked them too long (I also used a big pan).
It sounds like the heat was too high and the sauce overcooked.
Has anyone tried using garlic in it?
I was also wondering if I could use a honey mustard instead of powdered mustard.
I’m sure a little garlic would be delicious. You can substitute honey mustard for the dry mustard, but since it is honey mustard it will add sweetness. Enjoy.
Was wondering what could be substituted for Worcestershire sauce due to allergies.
Soy sauce adds a similar, savory taste as Worcestershire sauce or tamari if you have a wheat allergy.
Depending on the allergens you could try Hendersons relish. It’s a Yorkshire alternative and vegan.
Mochyn du means ‘black pig’
Yes, it does!
The Welsh word for rarebit is “brith”, which really means speckled. Hence the name – when a rarebit is cooked correctly, it will have a “speckled” appearance from where the cheese sauce just barely catches under the grill.
Cymreig brith = Welsh rarebit.
I can’t wait to make this. So upset when Stouffer’s stopped making it. My husband & I just love it for a quick delish meal! Thank you so much.
Well the good news is, homemade is so much better. Enjoy 🙂
I recall having this at a wine bar in Sydney Australia. Your recipe brought back that memory. Thank you!
Aww, thank you for sharing
Im going to try this recipe myself. Im sooo sad that Stouffers has discontinued their frozen version which was delicious and a staple in my house for many years! Yummmmmm!
I hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know if you have any questions.
Are you sure they discontinued this?, I was told that it was in Costa Mesa where house for Albertsons by the manager in the Santa Ana store. I live by Disneyland and it is not an upscale demographic. I haven’t had a chance to check out the Albertsons stores in maybe Yoruba Linda, Irvine etc… ,I miss it too!
I’m 85 now,, but, 79-80 years ago I remember my Dad making
Kidney beans and cheese to put over toast for Sunday night supper. Delicious, Now, I can try this recipe TO PUT OVER TOAST, COOKED BACCON, SECTIONED HARD BOILED EGG, BITE SIZED GREEN PEPPER, raw,sliced tomato, and garnished with thinly sliced green onion! A very tasty lunch or light supper.
I remember eating Welsh rarebit that had eggs and stirred in with the cheese and it was delicious do you have a recipe for that??kathy
You can mix in an egg with this recipe, it will work perfectly. All the egg does is change the consistency of the sauce. Let me know if you have any more questions and enjoy 🙂
Might you be thinking of Anglesey eggs? This is also a classic Welsh dish, usually served over mashed potatoes, but known to have been served over hearty bread too!
I have used puff pastry and added seafood and then topped with LOTSof the cheesy/yummy sauce. Be still my beating heart
A custom version, I’m intrigued.
This recipe is perfect! Rarebit isn’t something you can really find stateside, but I love it so much. Finally decided to try it at home and it turned out so well. Absolutely delicious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, it’s one of my favorites too.
This delicious and sexy lunch or dinner was first introduced to me as a child in the 1960s. It was featured on the Dick Van Dyke Show and that’s where possibly the bad dream scenario began as a comedy plot. It actually made us all want to try it. Turns out we all loved it.
This is great to hear, thank you for sharing. My husband said this was his favorite episode.
My mom would make up Stoffers Welch Rarebit for us. Mmmmmmm, being stuck home because of covid 19, I was watching an old Gomer Pyle rerun. He was eating Welch Rarebit. So I decided to look for a recipe for it! But is it true you can get strange dreams after eating it?
I was just watching that episode too, and it made me want to look up a recipe for Welsh rarebit! But I have never heard anything about it causing bad dreams before.
I think it’s probably an old wives tale 🙂
I think watching Gomer Pile is more likely to give you weird dreams than eating Welsh Rarebit
I made Welsh rarebit years ago. I would add tuna and vegetables to the cheese sauce for a great dinner. Very good flavor and a family favorite.
This is all good to know, thank you for sharing 🙂
This is grown-up open-faced grilled cheese. I had this once in UK and this is very good. I didn’t have mustard powder so I subbed a teaspoon of yellow mustard. A lovely comforting meal served with thick sliced grilled tomatoes.
This sounds like a delicious meal. I love grilled tomatoes.
I’ve always loved the idea of Welsh Rabbit. Cheese and bread and beer, great combo. So simple, yet so good! Thanks Janette. Pinned and Stumbled
You can’t go wrong with cheese, beer and bread 🙂
Sounds so good! Thanks for sharing
I always used to think this was an entree dish with rabbit. I’m glad to know I wasn’t completely off in that crazy kid notion! This sounds amazing. My fiance might even consider this a full meal because of the beer and cheese!
Thank you Luci 🙂
I remember reading about Welsh Rarebit in a book when I was young – and I just had to have it! Great photos – and thanks for triggering a childhood memory!
Awww
oh sounds good! I haven’t had Welsh Rarebit but appreciate the recipe! This will be something I would love to try!!
Thank you, it’s such an easy recipe with so much flavor. Thanks for stopping by.